Recent News for Hoof Care and Balance

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Why might one horse suffer from injury to the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in the navicular area while another doesn't? A recent study suggests that the angle of the DDFT as it passes over the navicular bone might have a lot to do with it....
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The term "corrective shoeing" is often overused and misunderstood. It sometimes implies that the farrier can correct conformational faults of feet and legs. In reality, often very little can be done to change the way a horse is built. Trying to fix ...
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There are many kinds of horseshoes; try to select shoes well suited to your horse's work. While a horse with a problem may need a farrier to create a special shoe, many horses get along fine with factory-made shoes....
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The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) will be offering a day of educational programming on farriery as part of its annual convention, which will take place in San Diego, Calif., Dec. 6-10, 2008.

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Most cases of thrush occur in inactive horses that live in stalls. Unfortunately, this describes a huge percentage of horses in the United States, since over the past few decades horses have become 'apartment dwellers.' ...
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Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) has announced the details of the second national conference on ending soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and all gaited horse breeds. The conference will be held March 20 and 21, 2009, at the Paramount Plaza Hotel...
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This point/counterpoint discusses the controversial issue of whether horses need to wear shoes. Back in 2002, Tufts University hosted a seminar for farriers and veterinarians to review the barefoot hoof care methods devise...
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We have greatly altered the lifestyle of our domesticated horses. These changes have had some negative impacts on the horse, one example of which is the health and quality of the hoof capsule. The majority of the equine population is overweight,...
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Vibram Hoof Pads are made using a unique process that bonds two layers of resilient Vibram rubber together. Each layer plays a different role in absorbing and distributing the shock that the hoof experiences on impact....
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Learn how equine podiatrists assess, treat, and monitor laminitis. Laminitis is a terrifying mystery to many horse owners, in part because in the early stages a horse with tremendous damage can look and act much like a mil...
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Each day brings new entries in the "Brown Shoe Diaries." The latest photos from the Belmont Stakes reveal Big Brown was stepped on by Guadalcanal leaving the gate, and that the shoe did not re-set itself during the race as previously thought; th...
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Belknap (who co-hosted TheHorse.com's Webinar on Understanding Laminitis) said the latest research points to laminitis as an intense inflammatory injury of the foot, and it is no longer believed to be solely a blood flow problem....
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Ian McKinlay, the farrier who has been treating Big Brown's quarter crack, said Monday morning the colt's left front foot has shown improvement and he and trainer Rick Dutrow remain confident the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will not be...
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(PHOTOS/VIDEO) Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown clearly owns some of the Thoroughbred industry's fastest feet. But many question their soundness, fueled by reports of layoffs, quarter cracks, and special shoes. His current farriers Tom Curl and Ian...
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The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) will be offering a day of educational programming on farriery as part of its annual convention, which will take place in San Diego, Calif., Dec. 6-10, 2008.

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A large majority of horses, regardless of breed, have a high-low foot syndrome where one front foot has a higher angle and different shape than the other. A close look at the characteristics of the high foot qualifies it as a club foot....
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The chronically laminitic horse is often a very tough case to manage because displacement of the coffin bone within the foot leads to a lot of pain and damage, in addition to the damage that allowed the displacement in the first place....
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Choice of farrier might have a significant influence not only on the shape of a horse's hoof, but its soundness and athletic ability, according to research carried out by veterinarians in Switzerland. Forty dressage and show jumping horses, divided ...
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The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will offer a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any violator of Tennessee's horse soring law, which prohibits the deliberate infliction of pain to horses' feet an...
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